How does damage calculation work?

If you hit something, then the system compares your skill to the appropriate skill of the target: Ranged Defense for a Pistol or Rifle attacks, or Melee Defense for a Melee Attack. The defender’s skill can raise or lower the amount of damage and provides the chance for a critical hit. After that, the target’s armor, special abilities, mutations, and usable items come into play, which potentially mitigates the amount of damage you do. Damage is also affected by where you hit the target. As you might guess, a shot to the head does more damage than a hit to the leg.